Faithfully
by emilykmx3
Summary: A one-shot based off of the episode P.C. Instead of Olivia being the officer assigned to watch over Babs Duffy at her apartment, what happens if it was Elliot? Please read and reply!


**Okay, it's been a while since I've written anything. This didn't take very long to write, so go easy on me in the reviews!**

**Anyway, Elliot is divorced in this fic. It is an alternate option to the episode P.C. Basically, Elliot watches over Babs at her apartment instead of Olivia. There are a few flashbacks of other episodes and they are all in italics...just so no one gets confused.**

**Let me know if you like it. It's only a one-shot for now, but I'll decide later whether I want to continue it.**

**-Emily**

**Disclaimer: They're not mine! **

* * *

"Could you at least try to not get yourself killed?" He bellowed to her from the zebra print chair he was sitting in, reading that day's newspaper to try and kill time.

It wasn't working.

"Just stay away from windows." His voice continued, his eyes never even leaving the paper as she sent a menacing glare toward him. An annoyed sigh left his mouth, obnoxiously loud just to get her upset. He glanced up briefly at her, and noticed a cell phone covertly between her hands. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?" He gave another sigh before throwing his newspaper down, motioning her to give him the phone.

Reluctantly, she gave in, tossing the phone in his direction. "Good girl," he cockily said with a sly grin across his face, picking his paper up once again.

Time was going slower than ever, but he was succeeding in great measure in pissing her off.

"No wonder your ass is so big, Stabler, is this what you always do?" She seethed back. "Nothing? Sit, read the paper, try to make your age match your receding hairline?" All she got in response from him was a slight chuckle escaping his lips.

"Hey, Babs, how about you do the same? I'm sure you're making a lot of people happy out there by being trapped in here." The two of them could bicker back and forth all she wanted. Fact of the matter was she could not leave that apartment, and until 5P.M., he was her babysitter. "Maybe the officers you harass on a daily basis can actually get some police work done for tonight."

"Or maybe the sick pervert attacking lesbians will strike again since I'm the only one in this city who speaks for them, and some hard-headed detective won't let me have contact with anyone!" Apparently she had no desire to stop their conversation.

"Hard-headed? That's weak, even for you Babs."

"Where's your partner, anyway? I'd much rather be stuck here with her than a prick like yourself." She stepped toward the window again, glancing behind the curtain for just a peek, which was also enough to boil his blood.

"She'll be here at 5, lucky her." The last two words out of his mouth came out as a mumble as he took hold of her shoulders to physically drag her toward the chair he was previously sitting in. "I'll tell you again, just sit down, relax, and stop pissing me off."

"Maybe I should've called you hot-headed instead of hard-headed..." She murmured just as softly as he had, except he heard what she said because of the glare he was now shoving in her direction.

"Fine, Stabler, let's talk."

"No thanks." He was helping himself to a glass of water in her kitchen, and he definitely did not want to spend the rest of his time here talking with her. _Just thirty more minutes_, he said to himself after glancing down at his watch.

Of course she ignored his opposition. "How long have you been with Special Victims?" He turned her way, wondering why the person who has been insulting him and the entire police force all night was now trying to pry into his personal life.

"Too long." He figured he would keep his answers as brief as possible.

"How long?"

"Let's just say I've been standing up for victims longer than you've been standing up for lesbians, okay?" He sent another sly grin in her direction, but unfortunately to him, the questions didn't stop.

"How long have you and Detective Benson been partners?" She seemed genuinely interested with the answer of this question.

"A little over ten years."

"Wow. I knew she was tough, but putting up with you for over a decade?" He knew the insults were bound to come back at some point in this conversation. God he wanted to rip that small, satisfied smile off of her face. "Are you married?"

"Divorced."

"No surprise. Have kids?"

"Yes."

"That's a shame." He gave her a questioning look. "All the working out in the world isn't going to protect them from that huge ass of yours." He rolled his eyes before turning his head away.

"You know what, I'll be in the hall." He walked back over to begin collecting his things that he brought with him. "If someone comes in, scream, and I might come back in to save you...maybe."

She waited until he was all the way by the door before speaking, "Wait...I'm sorry, I'll try to stop insulting you." He dropped his hand from the doorknob and turned back around. "I'm sorry, I'm not used to doing this. Being cooped up, trapped in my own home...with a man, I mean."

"Ok, a little too much information...but, apology accepted." He made his way back towards the two lounge chairs and sat in the one across from her. It was somewhat satisfying to hear Babs Duffy apologize for something she did wrong.

She sat quiet for a few minutes, and he figured the questioning about him was done. _Thank God_, he thought to himself before glancing at his watch once more. Twenty minutes left. A small groan escaped his throat, dumbfounded that it had only been ten minutes since his last watch check.

"Is Detective Benson married?" Another groan came from his mouth, she wasn't done.

"No, she's not married."

"Does she have kids?" _What the hell is this, the adult version of twenty questions?_

"No, she has no kids."

"Doesn't she want them?"

His expression softened at her question. Of course Olivia wanted kids, he knew this, and he also knew what a terrific mother she would be. He felt a tiny pang in his heart, recalling the conversation he had with Olivia about this topic previously.

* * *

"_Elliot, a few months ago I looked into adoption." His eyes widened at her words, and he couldn't help showing the small smile playing across his lips._

"_That's great-"_

"_They turned me down." _

"_What're you talking about?" Those bastards, he thought in his head. Did they even get a chance to know her, to see her with children? There was no way..._

"_Well, I'm single. I don't have any extended family support system. I work all hours..." She wouldn't show it, but he knew her heart was breaking with every line she spewed out at him. "They didn't see me as prime parent material." _

"_They're wrong."_

_

* * *

_

"Yes, of course Liv wants them." Babs could tell that was all she was going to get out of him concerning Olivia's personal life.

"Liv? Is that your nickname for her?" Her conversation had just taken an entirely different route. Once again, the answer that awaited her question interested her. Babs Duffy was a gossip whore.

"Everyone at the squad calls her, Liv." He didn't intend to sound defensive, but he could tell where she was getting at. It was Babs, after all.

"Have you two ever...you know..." And there it was. He knew it was coming the moment Olivia was brought into the conversation.

"No. Detective Benson and I are just friends." He would think twice before calling her Liv in front of Babs again. Detective would do, just fine.

"That's a shame." She said blatantly. Elliot knew she was outspoken, but even he did not expect that answer.

"Excuse me?"

"You and Benson, she has the hots for you, you know."

"Look, lady, you have completely lost your min-" He was cut off by a small knock at the door. It must have been five, finally. Now, though, Elliot wasn't sure he exactly wanted to leave just yet. The smirk on her face had remained there, and her eyes were locked on his ever since laying that on him.

"El, it's me, did she kill you?" Her voice was soft on the other end of the door, and he quickly got up before Babs could say anything about the nickname she also had for him. He could already read what her mind was thinking, _told you so..._

He didn't bother putting his coat on before opening the door to let Olivia inside. "Jesus, El, what'd she do, tell you she liked you?" _Not exactly._

"If I were you, I would wait outside." He didn't look her, or Babs who was still staring at him, as he left to head back to the precinct.

* * *

"_Tell me about Olivia Benson." Rebecca Hendrix knew Elliot didn't want to be there, just as much as she didn't. She was trying to make this as painless as possible, but knew he was still going to be a prick about it._

"_What do you want to know?"_

"_What's she like as a police officer?" She tried again._

"_She's experienced, professional, good with the victims. People trust her and they let her get close."_

_

* * *

_

That was the last time, other than earlier tonight, that Elliot had been interrogated by another person about his partner. They were close, Elliot knew that, Olivia knew that, but they always kept it professional. He realized that she relied on him in more ways than he did, but he would be a fool to think that he didn't need her, too. Elliot chose to keep his personal life out of the job as much as possible, but he was quick to offer support whenever Olivia needed it. What Babs had said earlier had thrown him completely off of his ground. Elliot had always been married, and that was that.

He wasn't married anymore.

"That woman cannot stand you, El, jesus, what did you talk about?" Elliot turned at the sound of Olivia's voice heading back into the squad room. She didn't seem upset or embarrassed, so he was glad that Babs clearly didn't share her assumption with Olivia.

"You." His voice was barely a whisper.

"What?"

"Olivia..." He never used her full name, except when he was angry, or trying to tell her something of a serious nature. He stood up from his desk and instead sat on the edge of hers. "We were talking about me, and then she brought you into the conversation."

"El, what is it, does she think I'm gay?" She tried to smile with her response, but her legs were shaking softly under her desk for what this might really be about.

"No, Liv, she thinks you like me." Four hours ago, and Elliot would have been giving the exact same look Olivia was giving him to Babs. But that was four hours ago. Four hours, and nothing but Olivia has been on his mind the entire time.

"Elliot, she also thinks the entire police department discriminates against gays. If you haven't noticed, she says a lot of crazy things." Her voice was getting shaky as well, mirroring the task her legs had long accomplished.

He furrowed his brow, "Why is it so crazy?"

She realized he was serious, and she was now terrified. She was not having this conversation with her partner, her best friend, and the man she had secretly loved for years. And she definitely was not having this conversation here, if anywhere.

* * *

"_All I could make out was 'Elliot.' So spill, who is he?" _

"_Nobody..." Olivia paused briefly before whispering her answer._

"_He doesn't sound like nobody..."_

_

* * *

_

"Liv, you're my best friend. I know I've never told you that officially, but I want to make sure you know." She was almost sure he could hear her heart beating as it did, loudly, against her ribcage. "I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with, let alone to work with, but you've stuck with me."

* * *

"_Well, like you said, you're the longest relationship that I've ever had with a man. Who else would put up with me?"_

_

* * *

_

He was almost echoing those words she said to him years ago, but he wasn't done. "You know things about me that Kathy would have never understood, but you did." She couldn't open her mouth, her throat felt incredibly dry all of a sudden even as she felt tears threatening the back of her eyelids. "And I'm sorry that I've never told you any of this, how incredible you are...how beautiful you are..." his hand slowly reached for hers, "...even when you're about to cry."

"Elliot-"

"Will you stand up for a second?"

That was harder than it sounded. She felt as if her knees would give out if she even attempted to stand this close to him.

But she did.

"I'm going to kiss you, Liv." She couldn't think of anything to do, except nod like an idiot.

Their eyes locked, his mouth curving into a small smile before slanting his lips over her own.

Elliot loved Babs Duffy.

* * *

**The End :)**

**The Flashbacks are from Inconceivable, Philadelphia, Infiltrated, and Burned.**


End file.
